Tokyo Tower
Tokyo Tower (東京タワー, Tōkyō tawā) is a communications and observation tower in the Shiba-koen district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan. At 332.9 meters (1,092 feet), it is the second-tallest structure in Japan. The structure is an Eiffel Tower-inspired lattice tower that is painted white and international orange to comply with air safety regulations. Built in 1958, the tower's main sources of income are tourism and antenna leasing. Over 150 million people have visited the tower. FootTown, a four-story building directly under the tower, houses museums, restaurants and shops. Departing from there, guests can visit two observation decks. The two-story Main Deck (formerly known as the Main Observatory) is at 150 meters (490 feet), while the smaller Top Deck (formerly known as the Special Observatory) reaches a height of 249.6 meters (819 feet). The names were changed following renovation of the top deck in 2018. Since its completion in 1958, Tokyo Tower has become a prominent landmark in the city, and frequently appears in media set in Tokyo. History Background A large broadcasting tower was needed in the Kantō region after NHK, Japan's public broadcasting station, began television broadcasting in 1953. Private broadcasting companies began operating in the months following the construction of NHK's own transmission tower. This communications boom led the Japanese government to believe that transmission towers would soon be built all over Tokyo, eventually overrunning the city. The proposed solution was the construction of one large tower capable of transmitting to the entire region. Furthermore, because of the country's postwar boom in the 1950s, Japan was searching for a monument to symbolize its ascendancy as a global economic powerhouse. Hisakichi Maeda, founder and president of Nippon Denpatō, the tower's owner and operator, originally planned for the tower to be taller than the Empire State Building, which at 381 meters was the highest structure in the world. However, the plan fell through because of the lack of both funds and materials. The tower's height was eventually determined by the distance the TV stations needed to transmit throughout the Kantō region, a distance of about 150 kilometers (93 miles). Tachū Naitō, renowned designer of tall buildings in Japan, was chosen to design the newly proposed tower. Looking to the Western world for inspiration, Naitō based his design on the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. With the help of engineering company Nikken Sekkei Ltd., Naitō claimed his design could withstand earthquakes with twice the intensity of the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake or typhoons with wind speeds of up to 220 kilometers per hour (140 miles per hour). Construction The Takenaka Corporation broke ground in June 1957 and each day at least 400 laborers worked on the tower. It was constructed of steel, a third of which was scrap metal taken from US tanks damaged in the Korean War. When the 90-metre antenna was bolted into place on October 14, 1958, Tokyo Tower was the tallest freestanding tower in the world, taking the title from the Eiffel Tower by 9 meters. Despite being taller than the Eiffel Tower, Tokyo Tower only weighs about 4,000 tons, 3,300 tons less than the Eiffel Tower. Height While other towers have since surpassed Tokyo Tower's height, the structure was still the tallest artificial structure in Japan until April 2010, when the new Tokyo Skytree became the tallest structure in Japan. Opening Tokyo Tower was opened to the public on December 23, 1958 at a final cost of ¥2.8 billion ($8.4 million in 1958). Tokyo Tower was mortgaged for ¥10 billion in 2000. Planned as an antenna for telecommunications and brightly colored in accordance with the time's Aviation Law, the tower's two panoramic observatories are mostly frequented by tourists today; the tower constitutes a clear reference point in the center's chaotic skyline, forming a strong landmark, both night and day. Maintenance Every 5 years, the tower is repainted in a process that takes about a year to complete. Tokyo Tower is next planned to be repainted in 2019. Showa Series Mothra After the larva form of Mothra emerges, having more than trashed the city of Tokyo, she topples most of the tower, then cocoons herself against the base. Later, she emerges from the egg and flies off to New Kirk City to retrieve her twin fairies. Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster During King Ghidorah's rampage in Tokyo, the Tokyo Tower can be seen destroyed after King Ghidorah flew through it, causing the tower to break in half and collapse into the houses below. Gamera As Gamera rampaged through Tokyo, he eventually came upon the Tokyo Tower and destroyed it before moving on. King Kong Escapes King Kong and Mechani-Kong clamber up the outside of the tower to duke it out above the two observation decks, on the main radio antenna. Thanks to the timely intervention of Madame Piranha, who cuts off the control wires to a machine which allowed Dr. Who to control Mechani-Kong, the robotic ape malfunctions, and falls off the tower, with his hand ripping off the tower's main antenna in the process. Godzilla vs. Gigan After the M Space Hunter Nebula Aliens deployed Gigan to Tokyo, he began attacking the city. He struck the Tokyo Tower with his tail a few times, eventually causing half the tower to break off. Heisei Series Gamera: Guardian of the Universe After the main antenna of the tower is blasted off by the military due to a blunder, Super Gyaos builds a nest on top of the tower. When Gamera arrives, Super Gyaos roars at Gamera, and the giant turtle tries to blast Gyaos with a fireball, but destroys most of the tower's ruins. Millennium Series Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. During Godzilla's fight with Mothra, the tower was hit by Godzilla's atomic breath, when he attempted to attack Mothra, causing the tower to collapse. Godzilla: Final Wars When Godzilla blasts the meteor containing Monster X, a massive explosion results. When the dust cloud clears, it is revealed that Tokyo Tower, albeit still standing, is badly damaged, with much of its upper section tilting to one side. Ironically, it has suffered the least damage, with most of central Tokyo now nothing more than a sea of crumbling, burning ruins. Reiwa Series Mothra: The Divine Moth After attacking the city of Tokyo in her larva form to rescue one of her priestesses, Mothra manages to destroy the Tokyo Tower first before forming a cocoon underneath of the tower's ruins. Several days later, Mothra emerges on her imago form, and flies toward Manila to rescue Mira, one of her twin priestesses. Functions Tokyo Tower's two main revenue sources are antenna leasing and tourism. It functions as a radio and television broadcasting antenna support structure and is a tourist destination that houses several different attractions. Over 150 million people have visited the tower in total since its opening in late 1958. Appearance Tokyo Tower requires a total of 28,000 litres (7,400 US gal) of paint to completely paint the structure white and international orange, complying with air safety regulations. Before the tower's 30th anniversary in 1987, the only lighting on the tower were light bulbs located on the corner contours that extended from the base to the antenna. In the spring of 1987, Nihon Denpatō invited lighting designer Motoko Ishii to visit the tower. Since its opening 30 years earlier, the tower's annual ticket sales had dropped significantly, and in a bid to revitalize the tower and again establish it as an important tourist attraction and symbol of Tokyo, Ishii was hired to redesign Tokyo Tower's lighting arrangement. Unveiled in 1989, the new lighting arrangement required the removal of the contour-outlining light bulbs and the installation of 176 floodlights in and around the tower's frame. From dusk to midnight, the floodlights illuminate the entire tower. Sodium vapor lamps are used from October 2 to July 6 to cover the tower in an orange color. From July 7 to October 1, the lights are changed to metal halide lamps to illuminate the tower with a white color. The reasoning behind the change is a seasonal one. Ishii reasoned that orange is a warmer color and helps to offset the cold winter months. Conversely, white is thought a cool color that helps during the hot summer months. Occasionally, Tokyo Tower's lighting is changed to specific arrangements for special events. The tower is specially lit for some annual events. Incidents and accidents The antenna's tip was damaged on March 11, 2011 by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. On July 19, 2012, the Tokyo Tower's height shrank to 315 meters while the top antenna was repaired for damage from the earthquake. Media representation of Tokyo Tower Just as the Eiffel Tower is often used in popular culture to immediately locate a scene in Paris, France, the Tokyo Tower is often used in the same way for Tokyo. The tower is also frequently used in the Japanese kaiju (giant monster) film genre. It has been the location of numerous battles and visitations by Godzilla, Mothra, Gamera and King Kong (in King Kong Escapes) wherein it is frequently destroyed and rebuilt. Gallery Videos Gyaos destroys Tokyo Tower - Gamera - Guardian of the Universe (British Dub) Photos Trivia To be added. Category:Locations (Meesmoth) Category:Real World